#! /usr/bin/env python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
from itertools import count


mailBox = {"Alice": 1, "Ariel": 1, "Aurora": 1,"Phil": 1, "Peter": 1,"Olaf": 1,"Phoebus": 1, "Ralph": 1, "Robin": 1,
           "Bambi": 2, "Belle": 2,"Bolt": 2, "Mulan": 2,"Mowgli": 2,"Mickey": 2,"Silver": 2,"Simba": 2,"Stitch": 2,
           "Dumbo": 3, "Genie": 3,"Jiminy": 3, "Kyzko": 3,"Kida": 3,"Kenai": 3,"Tarzan": 3,"Tiana": 3,"Winnie": 3,
           }

# кол-во писем
n = int(raw_input())
# list с именами адресатов
inputMailFrom = []
# цикл по заполению адресатов
for n in range(n):
    inputMailFrom.append(mailBox.get(raw_input()))
step = []


if len(inputMailFrom) == 1:
    if  inputMailFrom[0] == 1:
        print (0)
    if inputMailFrom[0] == 2:
        print (1)
    if inputMailFrom[0] == 3:
        print (2)
else:
    for i in range(n):
        step.append(abs(inputMailFrom[i]-inputMailFrom[i+1]))
    print (sum(step)

Try this
2
Tiana
Aurora

The correct answer is 4.
Initially he stands near the leftmost case, but the first letter does not need to be sent to the first case.